Temptation
by BFangz
Summary: We are all subject to temptation. Some are more difficult to resist than others. When it comes to making the final choice, how do you decide?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** _We are all subject to temptation. Some are more difficult to resist than others. When it comes to making the final choice, how do you decide?_

**Temptation**

Cho grunted, almost silently, and he lowered himself into his office chair and carefully set his coffee cup down. Today seemed a day of excess. He'd gotten up too early, run too far, too fast, made his shower too hot, then too cold and now he was early too work and his coffee cup was too full, and of course, he'd spilled some. His face impassive, the dabbed at the coffee stains on the reports on his desk, his bland countenance not revealing his inner turmoil.

Sometimes, revealing too much gave others an advantage that could be to one's detriment! He liked his job, he liked what he accomplished, but sometimes an irritant presented itself, and options could be limited. Sipping the coffee, he grimaced, the coffee was still a little too hot.

oOo

The wind blew into his face, cooling him somewhat. The tar roof was hot, but it offered a clear view of the suspect site, and the sniper scope made it seem like he was just a few feet away, though he was actually 600 meters from the target zone. Things were starting to happen, now. He checked the wind and it was still straight on. That was good for a clean shot since there would be no consideration of windage. He wondered why Hightower was there and Lisbon wasn't, but for some reason, no one was explaining anything to anybody, and his tongue still hurt from the too hot coffee. "Political bull shit!" he muttered under his breath, his mood truly foul.

Briefly the cross hairs of the scope aligned on Hightower's head and he could not resist a grin. "No, Cho," he told himself. "There is no way you could justify that as an accident." So far the scene below was playing out as if it was a script written by the CBI. The CBI team was in place, scattered around at random intervals, looking very innocent and busy with their own ends. The three suspects appeared, right on schedule, the way the tip said they would, and headed for the loan office.

When one displayed a shot gun, the CBI magically materialized, fully armed and fully intimidating, taking total command almost instantly.

Cho smiled, not resisting the urge to take a look at Hightower through the scope one more time. Yes, that had gone well and no one even got a skinned knee, today. He stood, folded the bi-pod next to the barrel and slung the rifle over his shoulder. Brushing the dirt from his suit, he headed off of the hot roof and into the welcome coolness of the stairwell down. "What a way to make a living," he thought.

oOo

"Does anyone know where Lisbon is," asked Rigsby. "And why was Hightower on the case with us, today? I don't have a good feeling about this."

It had been the successful conclusion of a case, but pizza had not been ordered, and it just felt wrong without Lisbon being there. Even Jane was not napping. He sipped his tea and nodded. "I agree, Wayne. I don't like the feel of this. Hightower is a self-serving, political animal that I wouldn't trust with last weeks garbage."

That pronouncement got grins and some chuckles, and even a snort from Cho. With almost psychic glee, Jane focused on Cho and asked, "How did Hightower's head look through that scope, Cho?" He hesitated, and when Cho said nothing, continued, "Bet you had a hard time resisting. Come on, you can tell us. We all know you have to sight around to keep your bearing. I'll bet Hightower looked good with the cross hairs on her face!"

Cho just glared a Jane, but Jane did not miss that the corners of his mouth tightened as he controlled the urge to grin and how the corners of his eyes crinkled, almost as if he was smiling. Jane didn't say anything but he gave Cho a conspiratorial wink, intimating at a shared secret.

"That man sees too much," Cho thought, "but at least he does know when to button it up." Cho busied himself at the computer terminal. "But she did look good through that scope."

oOo

Three weeks later, the day Lisbon wasn't there had passed and was now ancient history. The next day, Lisbon had been in as usual and she'd not mentioned her day off, nor the fact that the team, along with Hightower had closed a very dangerous case with no incidents, not even Jane had caused a problem. She'd not mentioned it, and based on their speculation, no one really wanted the be the one to bring it up so it just faded and was never discussed. But Cho had not forgotten.

Cho had a very good memory. He remembered a time in the third grade when a fifth grade bully stole his lunch money. He remembered how, three days later, that same bully was attacked by a dog that had gotten loose, and he remembered how, 12 years later, he had a decision to make with that same bully: shoot to kill or shoot to wound. The manual says go for center of mass, which is usually fatal. He didn't. He went for the center of the forehead which, when it's a good shot, is always fatal. He was a good shot that day, too. That particular bully would never hurt another innocent person.

Yes, Cho had a very good memory and he was a patient, some would say, a vindictive man. Cho considered his actions the working of justice. He was charged by society to apprehend those who violate laws or harm others. He was not the jury and he was not the judge, but on some days, fate would have it that he was the judgment. He always felt a grim, but determined, sense of satisfaction on those days. On those days, he knew that he was in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing.

oOo

It had been a nasty case from the start. It was marked by senseless violence and a total disregard for life. They knew of two men who were involved. It was uncertain if there was a third or not. Due to the lack of witnesses, what they had to go on was only physical evidence, though they did have some blurry footage from a malfunctioning security camera. Patrick Jane was working overtime profiling them, but with less than stellar success. Hightower had started insisting on tagging along on every call, thoroughly getting in everyone's way and on everyone's nerves. The mayor was twitching like a puppet in the hands of a drunk with Dts and everyone was on edge.

If it came to a show down, Jane had clearly informed them that it would be kill or be killed. He was insistent that they believe nothing they were told by this pair, except it was a way to get close enough to kill. Jane insisted this was a pair of symbiotic sociopaths and that they would continue killing as long as they were alive, and if he read them right, actually planned on causing death after they were dead, though he didn't know how.

**Preview:**

_Van Pelt took the call. There was no special reason, it was just her turn to answer the phone. Her face and the way she was waving at everyone alerted them to the fact something was wrong. She punched the phone to speaker phone so everyone could hear._

_"They are going to hit the Dusty Day Care Center, at the edge of town._


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: **_When the opportunity presents itself, and the right thing seems to be wrong, and the wrong thing may be right, how do you decide?_

**Temptation**  
Chapter 2

Van Pelt took the call. There was no special reason, it was just her turn to answer the phone. Her face and the way she was waving at everyone alerted them to the fact something was wrong. She punched the phone to speaker phone so everyone could hear.

"They are going to hit the Dusty Day Care Center, at the edge of town. They wanted me to drive, but when I figured out what they were planning, I agreed and then got the hell out of there the first chance I got. I ain't killing no kids!"

Van Pelt nodded. "I hear you, sir, and you're doing the right thing. When are they planning this? Do you know?" Jane grinned at her and flashed her a thumbs up sign.

"This evening, just before the parents start arriving to pick them up. I can't talk no more. I'm putting miles between this f****d up state and me right now. Good luck stopping them." The dial tone came on as whoever was calling slammed the phone onto the hook.

Lisbon looked grim. "This is our chance to get ahead of them. If we do this right, we can take them down." She looked around, and as expected, the full team was there except Hightower. She nodded, "Fully armed, let's go. We do not want to be late for this."

They covered the last mile silently. Driving into a planned neighborhood, they could see the evidence of new construction and landscaping that was trying to make the area look rustic and "cute". Lisbon was on the phone with the daycare owner/operator explaining she was CBI and that they were in imminent danger. "Do you have a panic room," she asked. "Well, how about a basement?" She paused. "Good. Get all the kids down there and block the door. If there are any windows, block and stay away from them. Lock all of you doors and don't answer the door unless they are identified as CBI, OK?" Lisbon nodded. "Good, we'll be there in a few minutes."

Rigsby pulled up in front of the day care facility. "Cho, you take that hill over there and set up the scoped rifle. Rigsby, you and Van Pelt are with me. Jane get this vehicle off this street and out of sight. We don't want to alert them to our presence."

In a very few minutes, the CBI team was in place and Lisbon was back on the phone explaining to the day care operator what was going on. Lisbon's radio came to life. It was Jane, telling the team that there was a brown car turning into the culdesac. Cho shifted the rifle so he could scope into the drivers window. He picked up his radio and said, "It's Hightower. She's on her way in. Over."

"Stand by," came the response from Lisbon, who had entered the day care center. She came back on the air, "Rigsby, can you stop her? If she's spotted, our cover will be blown."

"Roger, that," Rigsby replied, then he radio hissed back to life. "I have movement, behind the tree line," Rigsby whispered. I see as least two figures, and they appeared armed. I'm taking cover."

Hightower pulled in front of the day care center, killed the engine and stepped out. "Cho," Lisbon said over the radio, "What do you see around Rigsby, are the men visible?"

"Checking, Boss," was his quick response.

Hightower stood and stretched, she looked up almost as if she was examining the sky. Cho focused in the area where Rigsby was standing, looking beyond for the suspects, the scope bringing things so close he felt he could almost touch them. He's found Rigsby and was scanning the tree line behind him. He noticed movement and was concentrating on identifying what it was. Suddenly Hightower's head was in his scope, blocking his view. He grunted and tried to shift the view, but the movement was right over her left ear.

Rigsby was looking at an angle and did not see what Cho had focused on. Despite the ear in his scope, he could see that it was a man and that he was carrying a rifle. He saw the man raise the rife and take aim in the direction of Rigsby. He got a perfect sight picture and prepared to fire when Hightower shifted, her head filling the entire scope. His finger was about to trigger the round. If he held fire, Hightower would be spared a bullet in the head, but Rigsby would probably be killed and Hightower could be next. She was in plain sight.

Cho continued the smooth pull that makes a good sniper good. As the big rifle fired, Hightower moved and Cho could see his target crumble. He had no idea if he'd hit Hightower and the round had continued to it's intended target, or if she'd moved and was still alive, but he did know that Wayne Rigsby was still alive. He quickly scanned the target area, looking for the other suspect but couldn't find him. Rigsby was apparently in foot pursuit, heading into the wood line, which obscured his sight.

He scanned where Hightower had been standing and finally found her huddled next to her car. Her head appeared intact and she seemed to be moving, trying to find cover, so he assumed he'd, at least, not killed her. Cho grunted. "She'll never know how lucky she is."

oOo


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: **_What's done is done, now you have to live with it._

**Temptation**  
Chapter 3

It was pizza time! The suspect that Cho had shot was killed instantly. Rigsby had caught the second suspect, and it seemed that there were only two. The children thought they'd been playing a strange game of hide and seek, and had no idea of what had really happened. The day care operator was shaken and planning on some upgraded security procedures. Hightower was in the hospital. It seems she had a panic attack and was having severe heart palpitations.

"That was some good shooting, Cho. You saved my butt with that one!" Rigsby smiled and put the largest slice of pizza in front of Cho as a symbol of thanks.

Lisbon sat back, wiped cheese off of her chin and smiled. "You are a very good shot, Cho, but didn't you cut that one a little close? Hightower said she could hear the bullet pass by her ear and the tip of her ear as slightly red. Just how close did you come to her?"

Cho shrugged. "Don't know. I take the shot I have and don't second guess."

Patrick Jane stared at Cho and smirked. He nodded and opened his mouth to say something but was stopped by an intense glare from Cho. "I, ah, this is really good pizza this time. Is it from the same place?"

Lisbon agreed about the pizza. "I think we just got our order in at a good time. It is the same place."

Rigsby was too happy to be alive, uninjured, and still eating pizza to notice the interplay between Jane and Cho. Van Pelt looked at each of them, realizing that there was some sort of tension, but then, it had been a tense time.

oOo

Cho was glad the day was over. It would feel good to get home and get a quick workout followed by a long, hot shower. As he turned the last corner to leave CBI, he realized that he was being followed. He sharply turned the corner, and pressed into the nearest door way, minimizing his silhouette. As expected a man, Patrick Jane, to be precise, turned slowly and carefully behind him.

He saw Cho in the door way and smiled. "Either I'm getting good, or you are preoccupied, today."

Cho grunted. "What are you up to, Jane? You have a problem with me?"

Patrick shook his head and held up his hands to show innocence. "No, no. I have no problem with you. If it came down to it, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have at my back than you. You are a true professional."

Cho frowned and stepped out of the door way. "Then what's with you, Jane. You've been weird on me, lately."

Jane got serious. "I'm not really weird on you, Cho. I'm sort of worried about you. Every since Lisbon has realized your value as a sniper, you've been different." They stared at each other. "I can't imaging being a sniper," Jane admitted. "That has to get to you."

"I was a sniper for my unit," Cho said. "I was pretty good at it. Several of my buddies are alive, today, because I was good at it."

"Like Rigsby, today," Jane commented.

Cho nodded. "Yes. Like today."

Patrick frowned. "Now, I want you to bear with me. I'm going to actually be trying to make a point, OK?" Cho did not reply, but he didn't stop Jane either, so he continued. "I know I was kidding you, the other day about shooting Hightower. Actually, that was my wishful thinking more than anything else and it just came out that way. Sorry if that offended you." Jane did not give Cho a chance to reply not did he seem to be wanting to reply.

"Now, today was different. I could see what went down from where I was parked. I saw Hightower and I saw Rigsby and the gunman. But from the angles, and from you, I'm guessing I know what happened."

"You can't know what happened," Cho finally said.

"Let's see how close I am," Jane replied. "I'm pretty good at guessing. I'm guessing that you scoped Rigsby and saw the rifleman beyond him, preparing to shoot. You shifted the scope to him and as you were preparing to fire, Hightower got in the line of fire. You had a decision to make. Fire and save Rigsby, but possibly kill Hightower. If you don't fire, the Rigsby will probably die, and Hightower could be his next target. So, don't fire, one CBI agent dead, maybe two. If you do fire, maybe you can miss Hightower, maybe not, but Rigsby is safe. So, fire, maybe one CBI agent dead, maybe none."

Jane pause and looked at Cho. "How am I doing, so far?"

Cho grunted and nodded. "Go on."

Patrick smiled and grabbed Cho's arm. "I have no idea how you figured out the right move to make so quickly and smoothly, but you did. You did make the right decision, and no matter how it worked out, it would be the right decision."

Cho nodded. "I hear you, Jane, but that's not what I was thinking. I was thinking that the stupid bitch was going to ruin my shot and I pulled the trigger."

Patrick smiled, trying hard not to laugh. "Cho, I hear you and I don't doubt that those were your surface thoughts, but you are experienced and moral. You innately make the right choices. Everyone on the team, and that includes Hightower, probably owe you their lives from one time or another. So, you go do what you were going to do and know you did the best anyone could do, today. OK?"

Patrick turned and walked back toward the CBI offices.

Cho grunted and smiled. Then he did go home and have a good workout, followed by a long hot shower. And something he was not expecting, a night of peaceful dreamless sleep.

oOOOo

_**Feed back is appreciated. Let me know what you think!**_


	4. Epilogue

**Note: _Some thoughts for the end of the day...._**

**Epilogue  
**

When Patrick left Cho, he headed for his couch. Lisbon was still working and the buzz of the functioning office was relaxing and comforting. It had become so familiar, a home away from home, a place he felt a relative peace.

Stretching out, he thought back over the day. He really did find it difficult to imagine Cho's position as he peered through the scope of the high powered rifle, deciding who would live and who would die. No wonder he had been showing signs of stress. No one can have that sort of responsibility and not feel the weight of it. "I'm going to have a talk with Lisbon and see if she can give him some slack, maybe even let him lead on a fairly softball case. Let the poor guy catch a break." He nodded. "I should do that," he thought, but the ceiling Elvis was becoming him and his eyes were getting heavy.

oOo

Jane squinted, the sweat burned his eyes, but he shook his head and focused. Yes, it was Red Jane, but the cross hairs on the scope seemed to be wavering and would not hold a good sight picture. And Red Jane was moving. If he couldn't take the shot, he'd lose him. One more time Red Jane would walk away, laughing.

Jane took a deep breath to steady him self and watched as Red Jane turned to face him and smile that mocking smile he'd imagined so many times. Jane grimaced, steadied the weapon, and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

Jane gasped and came to an erect sitting position, the CBI office slowly coming into focus as his pulse slowly returned to normal.

"Sorry, Jane. I dropped a book. I didn't mean to startle you." Lisbon looked at Jane and frowned. "You look horrible. What's wrong?"

Patrick shook his head deliberately exerting his iron will to calm himself. "I'm OK, but we need to talk." He grimaced. "I just got a wake up call and maybe a little insight into what goes on in Cho's head."

Teresa smiled. "Yes, a book that size can be a wake up call, but if you have some insight into the Cho psyche, please, do enlighten me!" She bent and picked up the book she'd dropped, turned and headed to her office. "Come on in and educate me."

oOOOo


End file.
